


you stole my heart, so i stole your jacket

by foxtoveni



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, PINING KEITH, also this is my second time writing a long oneshot, and usually in oneshots i get kinda poetic sooo, i love me some pining keith, other characters appear but for v short time, these boys are oblivious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-30 14:01:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8535937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxtoveni/pseuds/foxtoveni
Summary: Lance one day loses his jacket and can’t seem to find it anywhere, but a certain paladin with a mullet has it.





	

Keith figures that telling himself he’s in love is a huge understatement, instead  _ head over heels  _ is the better words he can describe how he feels for none other than Lance McClain. The guy who flirts with everything that is even remotely human, the guy who is stacked up with a dumb rivalry, the guy who provokes him and under all that ego, Lance is actually a nice, caring individual.

 

Keith is pining and loving  _ hard.  _ The worst thing about it is that Lance is too,  _ incredibly,  _ oblivious to catch on Keith’s own subtle flirting and advances, every time ending in a challenge or fond bickering.

 

Whenever Lance flirted with someone Keith would immediately turn around to avoid the sight, trying to distract the jealously twisting around in the pit of his stomach and heart. Sometimes he couldn’t help himself but to drag Lance away from his flirting antics, which obviously prompted Keith’s angry cat of a mood, leaving Lance to stand there for awhile baffled as to why the red paladin was a little bit  _ too _ broody.

 

Everybody else sees through Keith like he was an open book, that he may even say he wears his heart on the sleeve when it comes to Lance, because the man just straight up makes him  _ swoon _ and  _ God,  _ he sounds so cheesy but it’s the truth, clear as the blue sky with no clouds.

 

Sometimes Keith can’t tell if it’s a blessing or a curse how Lance can’t read him, so he figures it’s probably a bit of both. Because whenever Keith’s attempt at flirting were futile, Lance wouldn’t notice. Whenever  _ Lance was the one flirting, _ the gears in Keith’s brain stop working.    
  
Because by ‘stops working’, it’s quite literal. Keith would just stand there with confusion written all over his face, brain trying to decipher and clue out if Lance was  _ actually _ attempting to make a move on him or he was just being. His brain decides (assumes) it’s the latter each time.

 

One day he lounges around in the common room, alien literature book in hands. Lance was right next to Keith, or more like  _ laying his long legs across his lap  _ \- It’s like Lance wants to watch Keith have a heart attack. Lance on the other hand was leaning against Hunk’s side, peeking at the tablet he was tapping away at with Pidge sitting on top the oval, floor-intersecting couch.

 

Despite the ever so often exclamations and shouts of hollering about whatever game they were playing on the device and Lance’s legs nudging Keith’s thighs he manages to keep his face in the same broody way Keith has been told to be permanently stuck with, in other words: a serious case of brood face. Just kind of like his restless leg syndrome.  _ And speaking of which, _ his leg was about to rocket off any minute now but Keith has been so deep in thoughts to actually realize, Lance apparently didn’t mind it seeing he kept his legs over Keith’s lap intact.

 

Until one specific lift of the leg to readjust is badly timed with the bounce of Keith’s right leg, essentially smacking the book off his hands, just barely sparing the pointy edge smacking against Keith’s lips to possibly break them open with the impact against his teeth as well.

 

Keith can’t exactly react in time and catch the book due to being dumbfoundedly caught off guard, somewhere in-between shock and nonetheless startle. The book clatters close harmlessly on the ground but his purple eyes are only fixated on the pair of gloved hands that once held the literature piece.

 

“Oh damn, sorry!” Lance apologizes, in quick succession darting out his comfortable place on the cushions to retrieve the object. He sits back up, holding out the book and--

 

“Paladins.” Allura strolls in through the door, following suit in her steps.

 

“Coran has made a special batch of food, another Paladin Lunch you’re all sure to love.” It’s debatable, the paladins come to terms with since-- well, alien and human food have different flavors and some things didn’t look edible. “Come all, you’ll need all the strength for tomorrow’s training!”

 

At the mention of another training session so soon after only two days off, the group on the couch groan. Except Keith, who isn’t bothered by it in the least. He trains every day which earns him a fair amount of The Gladiator smacking him around like a ragdoll, usually on its highest levels.

 

The only three to pry themselves from the couch is Pidge, Hunk and Lance who wander their way to the front door, just after Allura herself strolls out to lead her paladins into the dining room. Keith is left there with his own thoughts for a while longer, frowning at the book.

 

That is until Lance seems to notice Keith’s absence.

 

“Hey Keithy, you coming?” Lance says, reappearing back in front the sliding doors, hands pressed against the frame in order to keep the structure open. “We can have a race, eh?” He wiggles his eyebrows, and is immediately turned down by Keith’s unamused face alone.

 

“I’ll join you guys in a bit, now shoo.” Keith huffs, but there is a fondness behind his words, just like their stupid and silly bickering is fond now, that makes Lance’s lips curl into a genuine, sunshiny smile--deliberately ruining the moment with his finger guns and wink combo as he walks away. Typical Lance.  _ He loves it, though. _

 

When Keith is left alone once again he gives a sigh, a mix between his swooning and the realization Lance might never notice Keith’s flirting. He doesn’t even know if the guy likes him back like that and as brave, bald or hot-headed Keith is he wasn’t brave enough for  _ this. _

 

There’s only a few ticks before Keith eventually stands up, grabs the book and reaches out for his jacket and--

 

_ Lance forgot his own jacket. _

 

Something about that makes Keith want to  _ giggle  _ and in a futile attempt to hold it, a snort is what comes out. He’ll give it back to Lance once he reaches the dining room, so without another thought he grabs both of the jackets and starts to head out.

 

While on the way out Keith starts to slither one arm into the sleeve of the crop jacket, he stops some feet away from the door--close but far away enough that the sensors don’t detect a presence to let through.

 

There’s no one around but out of impulse he looks around, glancing from left to right and back to front, allowing for his eyes to land yet again on Lance’s hoodie-jacket. He purses his lips, slowly pulling the arm from his jacket, proceeding further into his steps to shrug on Lance’s jacket.

 

_ Does he feel cheesy as all hell right now, but hey. _ Lance’s scent is all over the slightly long and comfortable wear, making his heart do amazing happy kicks in his chest that he’s smiling  _ so much _ that it’s gonna hurt his blushing cheeks later. He’s fallen hard, hasn’t he? 

 

But of course, the inevitable looms over to happen. There’s footsteps headed for the common room’s door and something in the walking cycle, the soft pat of shoes indicates him it’s indeed Lance. Keith  _ immediately _ panics.

 

Now he acts on instincts, wild instincts. He can safely assume the instinct that kicks in on him and tells him what to do is  _ indeed _ a wild one, because without thinking about it he  _ bolts  _ for the back door. He had no place to hide, and even if he did he wouldn’t take the chances.

 

Just in the nick of time the door behind him closes when the door up front opens and Lance’s voice comes through, muffled but clear enough for Keith to make out what he’s saying--or was saying. Because assuming by the lack of him in the room, and presumably his jacket, baffles him.

 

He doesn’t mention the jacket once, though, and Keith is to assume maybe Lance guesses he left it somewhere else. Not before he exits back out Keith can hear something else just barely, muttering something about where is he. 

 

Honestly, Keith could’ve just given back the jacket. But he rathers explain why he  _ has _ the it instead of explaining why was he  _ wearing  _ it.

  
  
____________________________   
  
  


 

The following hours are harrowing for Keith.

 

After the lunch, Lance held a small meeting, if you could call it that, and dubbed the case  _ The Search for The Missing Jacket. _ Keith arrived just in time to avoid any suspicions, from Lance at least because Pidge was throwing smug and knowing looks at Keith, who tried to ignore it.

 

“As you all know, my jacket is missing.” Lance reiterates for what must be the hundredth time. In the span of one or two hours, nonetheless - Lance puts his hands on the table, the palms and cold surface emitting a gentle small plop. “ _ And _ I didn’t find it in any of the places I’ve been today, so-”   
  
“I may know where it is.” the paladin in front of them interrupts, Keith looks, and  _ oh no it’s Pidge. _

 

Keith will actually faint. He could excuse himself, but that would definitely raise suspicions if there weren’t any before, not only Lance’s but everybody else’s. Excluding Pidge. How on earth do they know  _ everything?  _ Are they some kind of psych?

 

“There’s chances you’ve forgotten to look somewhere in the common room. Are you sure you checked every nook and crany? Sometimes one just forgets where they’ve looked or not.” Pidge explains swiftly, pushes up their glasses and smiles. 

  
“But I checked everywhere already!” Lance groans. “But, I guess it’s worth to double-check..” He hums while nodding thoughtfully, the given suggestion something Lance decides to go with for now until he goes on another flailing-for-the-jacket moment. It was honestly quite cute, Keith must admit.

 

When they’re all finally free to go and before Lance goes for a wild goose chase for the not-so missing jacket, inevitably dragging his two specific paladins along, Pidge stops Keith on his way out, just out the others earshot.   
  
“Just so you know, your secret is kept safe with me.” She grins, leaving Keith to stare blankly at them, mumbling. He opens his mouth as if to finally respond but is cut short by Lance’s voice overhead, and he blushes  _ madly _ , his heart does the flippy thing again, inducing his quick storm down the hallway.

 

Lance stops by too late to stop Keith, so he’s visibly disappointed and frowning. “What’s up with Keith?” He looks down the hall, huffing at the escaping mullet head. “He’s been acting strange for the past few hours.”

 

“Oh,” Pidge waves their hand in a dismissive matter. “I’m sure he’s just got some stuff to do.”   
  
He stares for a little longer at the back of the mullet’s frame, far but still clear enough to make out it’s him. “Right.”   
  
  


____________________________   
  
  


The remainder of the day Keith passes his time catching glimpses of a searching Lance whining about the missing jacket, claiming that he’s looked  _ everywhere _ but it was nowhere to be found. It wasn’t exactly true about having ‘looked everywhere’, he and the rest have only been in and seen a small amount of the enormous castle, but of course it’s not like the jacket magically ended up all the way to the other side of the ship anyways.

 

By the time lights start to dim down to simulate the growing evening, Keith finds himself pacing back and forth in his room. He was storming up a world of thinking yet again, one hand pressed up against both lips. 

 

There were short gazes here and there between the door and the jacket. He could just give back the jacket already, the problem is his brain wasn’t cooperating to make up an explanation to why he had it in the first place. He can’t just tell Lance he kept the jacket for nearly the whole day and wore it for quite some hours. 

 

Maybe he can wait for the night time to kick in. Then he’ll leave the jacket somewhere around the common room, a bit more hidden, or maybe on one of the unused dining rooms chairs where they’re tucked so far under the table the backrest leans against the edge. Yeah, that seems like a good idea.

 

For the meantime, he’ll wait in patience in his room. So he sits back down on the messy bed, leaning back up against the wall his hunching shoulders, legs dangling over the edge. “Well, Keith,” The red paladin says, picking up a little conversation with himself. “You’re going to eventually confess your feelings, too.” He tries to reason. It’s not like he can bottle these forever.

 

  
  
____________________________   
  
  


 

Keith was sleepless. All he could think about was Lance. Things like how sunshiny his smile is, how his laughter makes Keith want to laugh too, faded freckles stretching across his nose and how he feels like he could trace constellations on from them, map out each little fading dot. Everything about Lance was perfect. 

 

He moves a hand up to rest it on a cheek, noting how warm they’ve become, and he turns into a flustered mess more than he was before. He’s smiling though, hands clasping around the jacket so he can cradle it close to himself, working himself to stand up.

 

It feels like it’s been at least two hours so the others might be asleep by now. The coast was safe and clear for Keith to return the jacket, indirectly. It’s risky too, because if someone was indeed awake at this hour of the night and they happen to be just as quiet as Keith is being, inevitably they would spot him wearing the long, green jacket that is unmistakably Lance’s.

 

He tiptoes down the hall, squints his eyes, and makes sure his boots don’t do that squeak-screech along the smooth iron floors. 

 

Once Keith’s gone down the hallway far enough he feels more confident walking at his regular pace. He starts thinking again, that maybe after setting the jacket back he can go and train for a little bit. He wasn’t drowsy or about to nod off, his eyelids didn’t feel heavy. If anything training would exhaust him, then that would make him want to sleep.

  
  


He continues the stroll in silence, humming under his breath. Until a step too close to a door he was about to pass by detects and opens up for him, inside gentle and distant dots greeting him in a vast background void. He steps in through, walking further into the room, door softly hissing shut. 

 

It’s the stars, and idly floating by meteorites. He smiles fondly at the sight, relaxing under the stars gazing down at him. That is until the door opens up again, he whips around so fast that he probably would’ve smacked his face into who just came in. Lance.

 

Keith wants to speak, but he can’t find his voice -- his words are caught, stuck in his throat. Lance seems just as surprise as Keith is honestly, his own Adam’s apple bouncing up and down as if he wants to say something, but has been caught off guard. 

 

Lance is first to break the silence with a low, “Oh.” Then his face splits into a grin. “Well well, looks like I’ve found the culprit of the crime.”   
  
Keith finally finds his voice again, brows furrowing. “I-- How do you come to that conclusion?” 

 

“For starters you’re wearing my jacket.” Lance starts wiggling his eyebrows, and Keith wants to flick his forehead. He stops himself from doing so though and Lance speaks up again, this time his voice is soft and gentle, a worried look spreading in his eyes and face. “Are you alright, though? I don’t usually see you awake at this hour,”   
  
The red paladin’s nose and lips twist, confusion decorating his facial expressions. He didn’t even question why Keith is wearing it, that must mean something, right?

 

“I could ask you the same,” He snorts out. “But, I was.. going to return it. Indirectly.” 

 

“That’s really cute, honest-- I mean,” Lance freezes up completely. Behind the slightly messy bangs of Keith’s hair, he can see those almost-grey purple eyes widen, pink brushing under them. “I, um--”   
  
Whatever Lance had to say Keith interrupts. He takes him by the shirt’s collar, successfully yanking him down to eye level to connect his lips against Lance’s. It was a firm kiss, lips pressed against each other’s. And as soon as it started it ended, because Keith realizes what he decided to do and tries to pull back, only to be embraced by long and warm hands press him up against Lance’s body in a hug he quickly melts into.

 

Lance’s thumb presses against Keith’s chin, index finger holding under to tilt his head back to once more connect their lips once more. When they pull apart, Lance’s smiles a warm and loving smile, but he starts to panic as soon as he notices tears forming at the end of Keith’s eyes. 

 

“Oh my God, Keith, is everything okay? You’re crying, I- Did I do something wrong?”

 

He’s crying? A hand frees itself from the hold it’s kept on Lance’s shoulder to prod at the tears staining his face. They’re just as warm as his cheeks, and his heart is doing so many impressive jumps in his ribcage that Lance can probably feel, and Keith can barely contain himself from smiling so much, more tears proceeding to roll and Lance is probably confused  _ and _ panicking.

 

“Keith? I’m sorry If I messed up or--”

 

“I love you, Lance.” Keith says with a firm but gentle tone, hands darting up to cup Lance’s cheeks. “I’m crying because I just.. I never thought,” He sniffles a little bit, wiping away at the tears. “I never thought you’d actually like me like that and I’m just so,  _ so _ happy that you actually do.”

 

He can see the way Lance’s tensed shoulders relax, that sunshiny and happy smile that Keith loves coming back. Lance hugs Keith so tightly, he starts littering Keith’s freckled face with kisses all over the place before he can protest -- which he tries to but it’s more of muffled giggles and soft snorts. Eventually Lance decides to spare Keith from angel kisses,  _ for now, _ as it was his turn to cup Keith’s cheeks to share another loving kiss with Keith.

 

When they pull back, Lance’s hand cradles the back of Keith’s neck, resting their foreheads against each other’s.    
  
Lance warmly gazes at Keith’s eyes, smile intact. “I love you, babe.”   
  
Keith snorts softly at the nickname, smiling as well, “I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> I stayed up two days until 5 AM writing this, and while I did proofread it the best I could there still might be a few typos bc I'm gr8 plshavemercyonme. Anyways, hope you enjoyed! ouo


End file.
